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SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Warranty cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands |  | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
May 31, 2009 | Aug. 31, 2011 | Jun. 30, 2009 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty accrual rate for sales of solar modules as a percentage of revenue |  |  |  | 1.00% |  |
Term of insurance policy over which the insurance premium will be amortized |  |  |  | 1 year |  |
Unamortized carrying amount of insurance premium |  |  |  | $ 1,286 | $ 2,850 |
Insurance receivable |  |  |  | 75,617 | 74,872 |
Downward adjustment of warranty cost |  |  |  | 9,319 |  |
Downward adjustment of other non-current assets |  |  |  | 5,634 |  |
Warranty costs (net effect of adjustment) included in cost of revenues |  |  |  | $ 13,188 | $ 19,793 | $ 9,817
Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Term of warranty obligation over which the assets is expected to be realized |  |  |  | 25 years |  |
Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Guarantee of solar modules for defects in materials and engineering design, installation and construction |  |  |  | 5 years |  |
Term of warranty obligation over which the assets is expected to be realized |  |  |  | 30 years |  |
Standard solar modules |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Guarantee of solar modules for defects in materials and engineering design, installation and construction | 2 years |  |  |  |  |
Minimum percentage of decline in initial minimum power generation capacity for 10 years | 10.00% |  |  |  |  |
Minimum percentage of decline in initial minimum power generation capacity for 25 years | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |
Extended warranty of solar modules and products for defects in materials and workmanship |  | 10 years | 6 years |  |  |
Period for which the entity warrants for maintaining the performance levels |  | 25 years |  |  |  |
Standard solar modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty period of solar modules and products against decline of more than 10% of initial power generation capacity | 10 years |  |  |  |  |
Warranty period of solar modules and products against decline of more than 20% of initial power generation capacity | 25 years |  |  |  |  |
Dymond Modules |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Extended warranty of solar modules and products for defects in materials and workmanship |  |  |  | 30 years |  |
Bifacial module |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Extended warranty of solar modules and products for defects in materials and workmanship |  |  |  | 30 years |  |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Standard solar modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  | 97.00% |  |  |  |
Second year to 24th year of guaranteed performance period | Standard solar modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  | 0.70% |  |  |  |
25th year of guaranteed performance period | Standard solar modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  | 80.00% |  |  |  |

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- Definition Represents the extended period of time over which the entity guarantees against defects in materials and workmanship. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the term of the insurance policy over which the insurance premium will be amortized. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the unamortized carrying amount of insurance premium. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the adjustment to the expense charged against earnings for the period pertaining to other non-current assets. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of revenue which the entity uses as an estimate of warranty expense for sales of solar modules, which is included in cost of revenues. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the adjustment to the expense charged against earnings for the period pertaining to standard and extended warranties on the entity's goods and services granted to customers. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the period for which the entity guarantees for maintaining the performance levels. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the minimum percentage of decline in power generation capacity from the time of delivery which the entity warrants for a ten year period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the minimum percentage of decline in power generation capacity from the time of delivery which the entity warrants for a 25 year period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the warranty period of solar modules for decline of more than 10 percent of the initial minimum power generation capacity. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the warranty period of solar modules for decline of more than 20 percent of the initial minimum power generation capacity. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the period of time over which the entity guarantees against defects in materials and workmanship. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the term of warranty obligation over which the asset is expected to be realized. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount due after one year of the balance sheet date (or one operating cycle, if longer) of amount due in settlement of a claim for reimbursement from an insurance company when the Company has suffered a loss covered under an insurance policy. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition The expense charged against earnings for the period pertaining to standard and extended warranties on the entity's goods and services granted to customers. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph ((c)(3,4)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068213&loc=d3e12565-110249 + Details
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- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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- Details
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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
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Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
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- Details
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